alt Hacker NewsBD used hydraulics for a long time. Works, but inefficient. You have to carry the actuators, the tank, probably a hydraulic accumulator, the pump, valves, and the power source for the pump. That's why BD's machines were so big. Someone at Google said "We need to have a conversation about hydraulics", and the dog robot in 2019 was the first all-electric machine.
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BD was under business pressures, and a computerized automaton doing baked ninja back-flips with servos is more impressive than inexpensive FK/IK demos dead-lifting 1000lbs. Google broke that company with their opinions.
Even if private labs have a viable platform solution, people won't care unless they can clone it for free. Not a lot of incentive for design change, but building Kryten 2X4B-523P would be hilarious. =3
plenty BD clips of old atlas include oil lines bursting and showing the room with oil.
it's indeed a mess.